In the heart of downtown Noblesville, one of the oldest buildings in the area, dating back to 1869, has been renovated and refreshed into something you won’t want to miss.
Bill and Lisa Wampler co-own Bar Ellis with Lisa’s sister, Chamron Brown. The name comes from a combination of the bar and restaurant concept, and “L.S.” as in “little sis.”
“We thought we’d open a bar together as sisters,” Lisa Wampler said. “My husband and I were co-owners of a restaurant in Cicero and then decided to open a restaurant on our own.”
It’s a perfect fit. Bill has been cooking in Hamilton County for 30 years and Chamron was a bartender at their previous restaurant. With the experience and family ties, together they’re sure to see success.
Wampler said Bill designed the menu and brought in some of the classic dishes he’s been making throughout his career. Others are brand-new entrées.
“We have a section on the menu, ‘Winter Warmers’, which includes classic comfort food like Chicken and Noodles,” Wampler said. “Bill has a Tomato and Horseradish soup served with mini grilled cheese sandwiches that’s very popular.”
He’s is also a pastry chef and offers his popular wedding cake dessert, a vanilla cake with white chocolate and raspberry mousse.
With Chamron’s input, they created several vegan and vegetarian options, and have received a positive response from the vegan community.
Ultimately, the goal was to create a space locals could come to socialize, enjoy an evening out, and kick back and relax together.
The first step involved the renovations to the historical building.
“When the building went up for sale, Mike and Tammy Goins decided to buy it and fix it up,” Wampler said. “They had a specific image in their mind of what they wanted the space to look like and we happened to meet them by accident. It was a match made in heaven. Their company did all the renovations and we flipped it fairly quickly. They did an awesome job.”
At Bar Ellis there is a bar and dining area on the first floor, a bar and dining area on the second floor, and a rooftop patio on the third floor.
“The rooftop is enclosed with these remote-controlled walls and heaters so we can use it year-round,” Wampler said. “It’s really cool to sit out on the patio and watch it snow outside. Of course when the weather warms we can remove those walls and it’ll be open air.”
Bar Ellis is located in the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area of Noblesville and the owners plan to take full advantage.
“We’re doing After Dark hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Wampler said. “We’ll transition to open seating, switch over to a smaller appetizer menu and bring in entertainment from comedy to live music. The energy is just great. This is a small town and you know half of the people. It’s just staying open late and people hanging out and having fun.”
As the weather improves, Wampler said they envision opening the large double doors in the front of the building for guests to step in, grab something from the bar, and continue to shop and support local businesses on the square.
They’re looking forward to meeting more Noblesville residents and visitors, and have plans to participate in community events coming this year.
“The community will tell us what they want,” Wampler said. “We know we want to get involved and we’ll participate in First Fridays, the Peony Festival and things like that. We are good at adapting, and once we see what we’re missing and what the community wants, we want to provide that for them.”
